The present invention relates to a method, and also to apparatus, for generating electrical energy from a subject's body. Such generated electrical energy may be used, for example, for electrically powering electrical devices implanted in a subject's body, such as cardiac pacemakers, artificial pumps, (e.g., for pumping insulin or other substances), various types of detectors or sensors, and the like.
When an electrical device is implanted in a subject's body, an electrical power supply for powering the implanted device is generally also implanted with the device. However, electrical power supplies have limited lives, and therefore must be either periodically replaced or periodically recharged.
There is an urgent need, therefore, for some means for generating electrical energy from the subject's body itself in order to power such implanted electrical devices.